Alumni Focus

Catching up with Cameron Teaster

by John Dawson

Cameron graduated from Covenant in 2010. His younger brothers Collin and Gunner also graduated from Covenant and his youngest sibling, Mia Jo, is on target to graduate from Covenant in 2022. I caught up with Cameron in November 2020.

[DAWSON] Cameron! Where are you right now?

[CAMERON] I'm in Chapel Hill, NC 

[DAWSON] So what are you up to there? I heard something about grad school?

[CAMERON] Yessir, I'm finishing up year 2 of my MBA at UNC Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School.

[DAWSON] So, if I remember correctly, you completed your undergrad at William and Mary. What was the route from W&M to UNC MBA?

[CAMERON] That's right. I graduated from William & Mary in 2014 as a pre-med student, and was considering a career in medicine at the time. I spent my first few months out of undergrad taking the MCAT and working as an orderly at a surgery hospital just outside of Dallas. After a few months in the hospital and a little soul searching, I hit the reset button and began to explore other career paths. After a few months of networking and more coffees than I can count, I turned to commercial real estate and haven't regretted it since. Over the next 4 years or so, I spent two at a small brokerage firm where I focused on leasing and two years as a financial analyst at CBRE.

Then I headed to Chapel Hill to get my MBA.

[DAWSON] I guess my biggest question is how much UNC basketball have you gotten to watch?

[CAMERON] I went to most home games in the Dean Dome (The Dean Smith Center) last year and was fortunate enough to snag tickets to the Duke vs. North Carolina game. Aside from Covenant vs. Cambridge showdowns, that’s the most electric basketball game I've been to.

[DAWSON] So, what are classes like in the COVID era? On campus? Off campus? I know you're a real-estate guy, but should I be buying Zoom stock?

[CAMERON] Classes this fall have all been on Zoom, but we're cautiously optimistic about a return to in-person classes in the spring. As for Zoom, I haven't checked their share price lately, but I can't wait to stop using their video conferencing for six hours a day. 

[DAWSON] For sure. I know we've got lots of alums still in college, going through the online class thing. Any advice for staying sane?

[CAMERON] Stay active! Whether it's a walk, a workout or a trip to the driving range, getting away from the screen for a bit always helps.

[DAWSON] What have you been doing in terms of keeping your sanity with so much screen time and social distancing?

[CAMERON] I bought some golf clubs this summer (that I still don’t know how to swing) and I've taken a few weekend trips. Recently, I went to Asheville, Nashville and Charleston. The change of scenery always keeps me sane

[DAWSON] What's next after finishing up in Chapel-Hill? Staying out east or heading back to Texas?

[CAMERON] Good question. Hoping to go on a quick European trip with some classmates and then re-enter the workforce. As for location, that may depend on who is hiring! Ideally, I'd like to land in Dallas, Charlotte or somewhere in the southeast

[DAWSON] Ok, before we go, I've got to get one quick Covenant memory. Do you have a go to Covenant story when you're trying to explain our school to other friends?

[CAMERON] I don't know that I have a go-to story, at least not one I can share here… When you graduated with 18 students and played 6-man football, Covenant can a bit difficult to explain to outsiders. People can never believe I went to a school that small, but I always tell them, as cheesy as it may sound, that it was more like a big family than a small school.

[DAWSON] I saw your mom and your dad at the Covenant football game last week. Your little sister Mia Jo is an 11th grader at Covenant. You graduated 10 years ago. Does the Teaster family get some sort of plaque for longevity?

[CAMERON] We’ve had a great run at Covenant. It’s hard to believe it ends in a year. But with Mia Jo bringing up the rear, I think it ends with the best of us. I’m not sure if they’ll give us a plaque, but my parents probably deserve one after 25 years and four Covenant lifers!